Potent offense about to improve
Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams is lifted into the air after one of his three touchdowns Sunday against San Francisco.
With nine catches for 195 yards and a touchdown, Antonio Brown extended his streak of consecutive games with seven or more receptions to 13.
Markus Wheaton was unable to hold on to this Ben Roethisberger pass, one of only six incompletions for the Steelers quarterback.
PITTSBURGH – It’s no mystery why there was a palpable excitement in the Steelers’ locker room following their 43-18 win over San Francisco Sunday afternoon.
The Steelers produced 453 yards of total offense, Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdowns, DeAngelo Williams ran for three more and Antonio Brown was again dominant. Pittsburgh scored 40 or more points for the third time since the start of last season and is averaging more than 400 yards per game through two weeks this season.
Most important was the Steelers (1-1) dismantled San Francisco’s defense without All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell, who served the final game of his suspension stemming from a DUI arrest last August.
Williams, who rushed for 77 yards on 20 carries in his second start in place of Bell, tied a franchise record with three rushing touchdowns. Though Williams was relieved to find the end zone for the first time this season, he admitted no one in the locker room is more excited to see Bell return.
“Do you know what I feel good about? Help is on the way,” Williams said with a grin. “Le’Veon Bell, the young bull, comes back. There’s no one more excited than I am, because I know how special he is and the talent he brings to the table and how defenses have to strategize not only against our pass game and our run game, but they have to account for (Bell) as well.”
Pair that with the success of Roethlisberger and Brown, and defenses are going to continue having a difficult time slowing the Steelers’ offense. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 27 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 72 percent of passes for 720 yards and four touchdowns in two weeks.
Working against inexperienced cornerback Kenneth Acker, Brown caught a game-high nine catches for 195 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
The Steelers kept the 49ers (1-1) guessing. After Brown made a big play and San Francisco began to double cover him, Roethlisberger turned to his other weapons. Five different receivers caught at least two passes, including Darrius Heryward-Bey, who had a 35-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter and added a 41-yard catch.
Markus Wheaton’s 48-yard catch early in the fourth quarter set up Williams’ third touchdown run. When the 49ers shifted their coverage again, Brown took advantage with two catches for 63 yards on the next drive.
“It opens up things for everybody,” Brown said of his fellow receivers’ catches. “When (defenses) want to double me, those guys get a one-on-one matchup and they have to be there to win. When they roll the coverage, I have to win. We have to feed off each other and we have to put on great performances like today.”
San Francisco stacked the box early to slow down Pittsburgh’s running game, which produced 134 yards in a Week 1 loss to New England, but the plan backfired quickly. With his offensive line holding back a young defensive front, Roethlisberger picked apart the defense and took advantage of his weapons.
“I wish that everybody could catch for 100 yards, which is hard to do but you try to include everybody,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s not necessarily something I’m trying to do, but you’re calling plays because you see guys and see thing and guys have to be ready when their numbers are called.
“And that’s why I’m proud because everyone was ready when their number was called.”
Brown extended his streak of at least seven receptions per game to 13 regular season games. During that span, he caught 106 passes for 1,387 yards (13.1 yards average) and nine touchdowns. He also came a yard short of matching his career-high for yards in a game, which he set Sept. 22, 2013 with 196 yards in a loss to Chicago. He moved into sole possession of 10th place on the team’s all-time touchdown reception’s list with 30.
He has 18 catches for 328 yards this season.
Roethlisberger tied Terry Bradshaw for the most regular season wins among Steelers quarterbacks in franchise history with 107 in 160 games. … Williams scored three touchdowns for the first time since Nov. 30, 2008, his only Pro Bowl season when he rushed for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns for Carolina.